12 Healthy Ways To Improve Your Mental Health This Summer

Summer is a wonderful time to relax and enjoy the beauty and warmth of the season. Unfortunately, summer can be a stressful time for many. Parents often find themselves shuffling kids from one event to the next. And then for some, there is the endless list of invites from weddings to pool parties. With all of the events going on, it can bring about mental stress. That’s what I’m going to go over some ways to improve your mental health this summer in today’s article.

Exercise

Exercise can both improve your mental health and keep your body healthy. Summer is the perfect time to exercise, as you can go for a walk, run, bike ride, or swim in a pool. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated, since the heat will cause you to sweat more.

Get Outside

After being indoors all winter, summer is the time to get out and get fresh air. The vitamin D from the sun can also help reduce depression, and therefore improve your mental health. Whether you simply sit outside and enjoy the cool summer breeze, or get moving and work on a project, getting outside is sure to improve your mental health.

Make Goals

This summer, try new things and make new goals. Maybe you want to finish all the crafts that you started in the winter, or maybe you want to train for an athletic competition. Making goals will improve your mental health, and will force you to strive to do your best. However, avoid setting goals that may become too stressful or challenging. Stress is never healthy, so make sure you only set goals that can be accomplished.

Read a Book

Summer is the perfect time to snuggle down in a comfy hammock or chair and read a book. Reading a book can be fun to do, and can take your mind off of the stress in life. Make sure to pick a good book that you are interested in.

Take a Vacation

Everyone needs a vacation, whether you travel somewhere far or simply hang out in your backyard. By taking a vacation, you will refresh your mind from the stress of work, unfinished tasks, or anything else in life that is causing anxiety. If you will be traveling somewhere for your vacation, try going to relaxing places. The beach or lake are good places to go. If you are taking a vacation at home, make sure to use your time wisely. Take some time to relax, and only do projects that are fun and relaxing. You can also use your vacation time to spend time with your family, read a book, or go for a walk around the neighborhood.

Drink Plenty Of Water

Drinking plenty of water will allow you to concentrate, and not have headaches. It is recommended to drink eight 8 ounce cups of water a day.

Eat Healthily

The food you eat can have a big impact on your mental health. It is best to eat healthy, nutritious meals. Make sure you eat enough for breakfast, as skipping breakfast can leave you unfueled for the day. Also, some studies have been done that show people who eat lots of dairy and meat products for dinner are at a greater risk of depression. Although this may not be true for everyone, it is still important to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains rather than too many animal products.

Don’t Spend Too Much Time On Your Phone

Too much time on your phone can leave your brain drained. From your eyes staring at the screen, to how you become depressed when someone says something harsh to you, spending too much time on your phone is not healthy. This doesn’t mean that you have to quit using your phone altogether. Instead, take an hour or more off your phone every week, and use that time to go outside or start making a craft. Reading a book is always a good option as well.

Don’t Multitask

During the summer, it is easy to get into too many projects a once. Although this may not seem like a big deal, multitasking can lead to stress. Try finishing one project before moving to the next one, and give yourself plenty of time to finish that project.

Say “No” More Often

You may feel like you always have to say “yes” when people ask you to do something, but for your own mental health it is best to say “no”. Summer should be a time of relaxation and not a time to run back and forth when running errands. To avoid stress, try not to have a long schedule during the summer. Instead, take the time to enjoy life, and politely say “no”.

Don’t Complain As Much

Although you shouldn’t keep negative thoughts inside you, you shouldn’t complain all day either. If you have to tell someone about your struggles, do it once and move on. If you meditate all day on the things you didn’t or should do, you will have a stressful life.

Get Plenty Of Sleep

It is recommended for adults to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. If you are not getting this much sleep every night, or if you are feeling tired, you may want to take a nap during the day. People deprived of sleep will most likely not be able to concentrate and will be doing no favors for their mental health.

Final Thoughts

I hope that you will practice some of the tips I suggested for improving your mental health this summer. When life gets busy, it’s going to be crucial to your health to step back and chillax a bit more often. Summer is fleeting, so take advantage of all that the season has to offer for your mind and body.

Mariann Foster is one of our content writers here at OurStart. Mariann is a certified reading specialist who enjoys homeschooling her daughter and taking care of her alpacas in her spare time. She lives in Wyoming on an alpaca farm with her daughter and their various collection of big and small animals. Being a mother is her greatest gift, so she hopes she can help to encourage other moms through her writing.